Boat hull structure including plural air tank chambers



Jan. 20, 1959 J. B. O'BANNON 2,869,149

BOAT HULL STRUCTURE INCLUDING PLURAL AIR TANK CHAMBERS Originl Filed Oct. 29" 1952 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 John B. OBannon INVENTOR.

I 1 BY Jan. 20, 1959 J. B. O'BANNON 2,869,149

BOAT HULL STRUCTURE INCLUDING PLURAL AIR TANK CHAMBERS Original Filed 061;. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m R m I 0 m 00 00000 Mm 1 n am y 4a '8 0 W mw w B I im 7% ooooooooooo ooooooo oo0mooooo M W oooooooommooooooooo H T hmommom 0 mm. H S. RN vw vm v m MN N MN N N QM. QMWN NW N .NV Q vw on X ow vw v vn mm mm mm mm mm NM NMNN Nm QN NM. NM. NM

United States Patent BOAT HULL STRUCTURE INCLUDING PLURAL AIR TANK CHAMBERS John B. OBannon, Pampa, Tex., assignor of forty percent to Bruce L. Parker, Pampa, Tex.

Original application October 29, 1952, Serial No. 317,433, now Patent No. 2,720,662, dated October 18, 1955. Divided and this application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,582

1 Claim. (Cl. 9-3) This invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in boat structures, and is more particularly concerned with a boat hull structure incorporating plural air tanks constituting a divisional application of the copending application, Serial No. 317,433, filed October 29, 1952, now Patent Number 2,720,662 for Boat Structure Including Wheel Mount and Air Tank Chambers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a boat hull construction having a false bottom that is divided into a plurality of compartments or chambers that receive air filled containers or cans for the purpose of adding buoyancy to the boat hull structure.

A further object of invention is to provide a boat hull structure having a substantially hollow U-shaped configurated boat hull including a plurality of chambers accommcdating a plurality of air filled containers or tanks, said chambers being disposed in opposite legs of the U- shaped boat hull and increasing the buoyancy of the boat hull construction and adding to the stability thereof.

A still further object of invention in conformance with that set forth above is to provide a boat hull construction of the character set forth that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, compact in structure and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the boat hull construction;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4--4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral generally indicates a boat hull structure generally having a socket 12 at its forward end which is capable of being engaged over a ball hitch element (not shown) conventional on a towing vehicle. The sides 14 and 16 of the boat hull 10 are provided with vertically adjustable ground wheel assemblies indicated generally at 18 which comprise the subject matter of the previously mentioned parent application, Serial No. 317,433. Inasmuch as this structure is described in great detail in the copending application, further description thereof is believed to be necessary.

The boat hull structure 10 includes a bottom wall or deck 20 to which are fixed in any suitable manner the reinforced edges 22 of spaced mutually parallel, longitudinally extending, vertically depending partition walls "ice 24. The lower edges of the partition walls 24 have suitably secured thereon four T-shaped longitudinally extending rails 26. Horizontal platforms 28 extend between adjacent partition walls 24 and include longitudinally disposed bottom rails 30 at rest upon the rails 26 of the adjacent partition walls. The aforementioned structure including the adjacent partition walls 24 in conjunction with the deck and the platforms 28 define a plurality of adjacent compartments 32, the purpose of which to subsequently become apparent. A plurality of air-tight sealed cans of any suitable character indicated at 34 are disposed in the compartments 32 with their bottoms resting upon the platforms 28 and with their upper ends engaged against reinforcing strips or hold-down rails 36 which are suitably secured and extend longitudinally along the adjacent partition walls 24, thus preventing lifting of said cans 34.

Access doors 38 mounted in any suitable manner are provided at the stern or rear end of the boat hull and control communication into the compartments, these doors being individually opened so that the cans 34 may be removed by removal of the platforms 28 to which the cans may be suitably secured by means of a suitable cement, mastic or the like.

The innermost parallel partition walls 40 and 42 do not have a platform disposed therebetween inasmuch as the propeller shaft (not shown) of the boat hull structure is intended to extend therebetween, and the deck 20 will be provided with suitable drainage apertures 44, see Figure 2, over the space between the walls 42 and 44, it being noted that the deck 20 being above the surface of the water so that water entering the boat hull structure upon the deck may drain through the aforementioned apertures 44.

The forward end portion of the boat hull structure 10 is provided with a hollow U-shaped portion 46 having rear end step portions 102 whereby persons may ascend or descend from the boat hull. The portion 46 may be provided with access doors 48 of any suitable character whereby water-tight buoyancy cans 50 may be inserted into the oppositely disposed leg portions of the U-shaped portion 46 to add to the buoyancy of the boat hull and the stability thereof.

The boat hull 10 includes an additional forward deck portion 52, a wheel housing 54 mounted on the boat hull 10 adjacent the deck portion 52, and extends rearwardly therefrom. An awning of any suitable character, indicated at 56, may be secured at its forward ends to the Wheel housing 54 by means of suitable cables or lashings 58 which are attached to hand rails 60 suitably secured and extending longitudinally of the wheel housing 54. A plurality of substantially vertically extending supports 62 extend upwardly from the stem 64 of the boat hull and support the rear end of the awning 56. Suitable vertically extending supports 66 extend upwardly from the sides 14 and 16 of the boat hull to support the sides of the awning 56.

Thus, there has been disclosed a boat hull construction which fully conforms with the objects of invention heretofore set forth, said construction being adaptable for use with either inboard or outboard engines, the plural air-tight containers lending for the ready construction of the boat hull as well as a highly economical and relatively simply constructed boat hull, the open space between the partition walls 42 and 40 readily adapted to accommodate the drive shaft of the boat and lending to a symmetrical and suitably balanced hull.

Various positional directional terms such as front, rear, etc., utilized herein have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and are not intended to require any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A boat hull of inverted U-shape in cross-section comprising a deck, two series of vertical wall members depending from said deck and extending longitudinally of said hull in laterally spaced relation in each series, said series being spaced apart at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of said deck to provide a space between the series open to water, a plurality of elongated horizontal bottom platforms fitted between the wall members of each series and forming therewith and with said deck two series of si-de-by-side longitudinal compartments at opposite sides of said hull, means closing the ends of the compartments including doors in one end thereof hinged for opening, buoyant hollow members fixed on said platforms and disposed in rows longitudinally along the platforms, means slidably connecting the platforms to said wall members for removal and replacement out of and into the compartments together with the buoyant members fixed thereon when said doors are opened, said means including longitudinal bottom rails on said wall members and in opposite sides of the compartments and on which said platforms slidably rest, and longitudinal hold-down rails on said side wall members at opposite sides of the compartments overlying and frictionally engaging the buoyant members to hold the same down and thereby hold the platforms on said bottom rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,093,475 Rosing Apr. 14, 1914 1,758,098 Williams May 13, 1930 1,795,437 Nielsen Mar. 10, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,518 Great Britain July 24, 1930 349,176 Great Britain May 28, 1931 

